Fwd: Google's challenge

[Mukkai Krishnamoorthy]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Badri Roysam <roy...@ecse.rpi.edu>
Date: Fri, May 29, 2009 at 11:38 AM
Subject: Google's challenge
To: rcos-s...@googlegroups.com



May 27, 2009 7:47 PM PDT
Google's Idol-like Android challenge
by Jessica Dolcourt


Android 1.5 on Google's brand-new 'Ion.'
(Credit: CNET/Photo by Stephen Shankland)
To encourage gifted developers to give iPhone programming a rest, most
mobile platforms have built app stores that lure with the promise of a
cash-positive distribution. But not Google. It baits with cash.
Sure, Google installs and sells Android applications through its
on-board Market, but a mobile platform with such a slim slice of the
pie needs an infusion of fresh and original apps if it's to stay in
the bake sale. Google's answer: the second Android Developer
Challenge, or ADC2, as it's nicknamed.
This time, submissions will vie for popularity and 'wow factor' on the
Android 1.5 operating system known as Cupcake. Announced Wednesday at
Google I/O, the company's second annual developer-focused conference
held in San Francisco, ADC2 will award three top prizes to
applications in ten categories. The categories include gaming, social
networking, media, and productivity. Google will also award an
additional purse to the top three programs that cross-cut all
categories. That's $250,000 for the one lucky development team
considered the best in show, with second and third places for the best
all-around app bringing its developers $150,000 and $125,000,
respectively. First place in each category receives a cool $100,000 to
pocket.
The twist in this year's competition is one right out of "American
Idol." Anyone with an Android 1.5 device will be able to download,
test, and rate every application in two rounds of judging. How will
Google keep this contest from becoming one big geeky popularity row?
By limiting users' voice to 45 percent of the vote and weighing in the
opinion of official Google-chosen judges at a slight 55 percent
majority.
Don't expect to see the winners, or even the apps, very soon. Google
specs six months from the time the challenge begins until its November
completion. This is quite a change from just two weeks ago, when
Forbes said its Google contacts pronounced Google's ADC2 competition
"still on hold" in response to user complaints about the contest's
delay.
Google hasn't confirmed hard dates yet, but according to the fuzzy
timeline, judging for the first round will begin in late August, with
the polls closing in mid October. In mid-November, final judging ends
and 30 teams will walk away, their virtual pockets stuffed with very
real dollar bills.
See Google's announcement for more details on awards, categories, and
eligibility.


Badri Roysam
Professor, Department of Electrical, Computer and Systems Engineering
Associate Director, NSF Center for Subsurface Sensing & Imaging
Systems (CenSSIS ERC)
Co-Director, Rensselaer Center for Open Source Software
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
110 8th Street, Troy, New York 12180-3590, USA.
Office(JEC 7010): 518-276-8067, Assistant: 518-276-8525, Lab(JEC
6308): 518-276-8207, Fax: 518-276-8715
Email: roy...@ecse.rpi.edu, Web: http://www.ecse.rpi.edu/~roysam



----- Original Message -----
From: Mukkai Krishnamoorthy [mailto:mskmo...@gmail.com]
To: rcos-s...@googlegroups.com
Subject: Attend Talk on Wednesday and no Meeting on Friday


>
>  Please try to attend a talk on Wednesday May 27, 11:00 am - 11:30
> am Talk  JASIG: JASIG is "...a consortium of educational
> institutions and commercial affiliates sponsoring open source software
> projects for higher education." Jonathan Markow, the executive director
> of JASIG, will discuss JASIG's mission, role, futures, and the future of
> FOSS in higher education. Place: All sessions will take place in the
> Bruggeman Conference Center in the
> Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies Building.
>
>  I will also like some of you to come at 1:30 pm on Wednesday and
> discuss your project/goals/role of rcos
> with Jonathan Markow.
>
> There will be no noon time meeting this Friday 5/29
> --
> Best Regards
>
> --Moorthy
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> M. S. Krishnamoorthy (mskmo...@gmail.com)
> 518-276-6911(o) 518-273-6624(h) http://www.cs.rpi.edu/~moorthy
>
> >
>





--
Best Regards

--Moorthy
------------------------------------------------------------
M. S. Krishnamoorthy (mskmo...@gmail.com)
518-276-6911(o) 518-273-6624(h) http://www.cs.rpi.edu/~moorthy